The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-03-02
A VISIT TO FORT HILL.
WHAT COLONEL CLEMSON SAYS OF THE
MYSTERIOUS sNUFF-DoX, AND
COLONEL RIoN's ROYAL
BLOOD.
Colonel Clemson Never Heard of the
SnufBOX. until Last Week ---
Colonel RiOm Never Went to Can.
ada. md He Fore no "PccuIiar
ReiafiOns.. 10 John &. Calhoun.

james u. k!O:l, which nave appeared the
Charleston NcIrS nnd (DnrirT, we determined
togo to Fort HILL To hear from Mr.. Clemson
his statement of the part which he was re-
ported To have taken in the mysterious affair.
Boarding Mr. Sylan'S lightning express,
which plies between Abbevillc and Hodges,
last Friday afternoon. we flew over the inter
vcning hollowS and hills nj the rate Of some
ten or twelve miles an hour until we reached
| on board of the Grccnvlle bound train, and
i'm good time the brakeman announced: "Rel-
ton! u t'lnnge cars @ for anderson. Seneca City
and Walhalln.' We "changcd," and Conduc-
tor Smith to"k us over his road in safety and
comfort. The last old "hange" or "Strap"
rail has been taken up. and new steel-rails
have been pat in its place. We found Mr..
r. r. Todd on the cars. He and his excellent
paper are becoming quite popular with the
people Of Anderson.
Arriving at pendlcton about halGpast five
o'clock, we employed guide to carry our
tel which is kept by Mr.. pacus. We were
not expected, and no great preparation had
been made for our coming. The proprietor
OF the hotel was out, but he soon came in.
and we were not long In striking up an ac-
Quuintancc. We told Mr.. Dacus that we de-
sired TO see Colonel Clemson that night. and
that his friend, Mr.. Branch, had recommend
cd us 10 his care, and then asked him II he
could send us out TO the Colonel's He read
lily assentcd. saying he had a good horse and a
trusty colored man at his command, who
ToHi MSad IN safe joqrnfy Our
Clemson was man Of eighty years of age, In
feeble condition, and did not attend PERSONAL
| ly to any active work of The farm; that he
had employed him to manage the farm.
Supper was announced, and we made the
acquaintance OF Mrs Dacus, who Is q most eX-
cellent woman, possessing some of the no
bleSt traits In a woman's character.
At supper Mr.. DacuS SAID that he believed
he would go with us to sec Colonel Clemson,
for which offer was indeed grateful and so
expressed myself. In the first place, 1 pre-
ferred the journey with him, and in the next
place, thought he might be of assistance to
me III obtaining the ear Of the old gentleman.
| After supper, and when 1t was quite dark,
with threatening ate ,e clouds . overhead; and with
stretching through open fields and darkest
| forests, we took seats in his good buggy hp-
hind "Rattler," and started for Fort Hill.
that old spot which has been made douhly
historic by the stirring scenes of two wars
and which has become famous as being once
the summer home of John G. Calhoun. Ar
irving I'm front OF the mansion. from which
cheerful lights shone out into the darkness,
rs we halted, u voice from the piazza called
ont: "Who GENES thcre?" "Dacus and Mr.
Wilson, was answered by Mr.. DdcuS. "Wali
| in gentleman" was the response OF Mr.. Glenn
son, and us soon aS we were In the house. II
| little more Introduction was not out of plnce,
and so we told him that we were the publish
er of q newspaper at Abbevillc, who had
come to hear him talk of the recent publ
cations which had hecn made of Colonel
Rion. The ColoGel asked If VIC were the pub.
| Usher of the paper OF which Mr.. Benct had
been editor, and being answered in the affirm
atire. that seemed a sufficient Introduction,
and while he made us most welcome, with.
out seeming TO take any note of our dcclarl-
ton rs 10 the obje Of our visit he talked free
| ly upon many matters of public interest, iI-
cluding gtheadminislraton ofjustice In South
Carolina. OF himself lie said that he was
now living in retirement; that he took Il live
| ly interest In whatever was going on, but
that he desired no newspaper notoricty.
interesting talk for some time on matters
seeking information, We felt that the
time was getting away and that we had
business, and we again referred to the state
mcnt that Colonel Rion had descended from
the Royal blood of France, and asked him II
he brought from Paris the snull.box in ques
| tion.
"Plcasc hand me that small box which lies
on the table, he replied, pointing TO n table
in the corner of the room. "That box con.
tains what may be the origin or the grounds
When Leopold was King. was at the Court
of Belgium, and was offered this Insignia OF
| the grand officers OF the Legion of Honor but
as long as I held u commission from tile
United States Government, l could not nc
ccpt ii. AfIcr resigned my commission OF
/ Minister or Diplomat 10 the Court of Belgium
! accepted this Insignia of honor, which is Il
mark of distinction which was conferred
| upon very few men. As You see, IL Is OF sill
yer, but it's surface is cut or carved in such
manner as to make it have the appearance
though ii !aS not hccn washed or brushed
in q long time. YOU will scr that the edges OF
of the carving are yet bright
| Still not bcin" able to connect this state
ment with Colonel Ri0n'S Snntt-bOX, we re-
newcd our question. If possible, with more
ldsiinctneSs.
when was in Paris he replied. "a jew.
eler in that city notified me that he had =
great quantity Of jewels and silver That he
desired to sell. These articles, have every
reason TO believe, .'cre once the property oil
King Charles, have n few pieces of that sill
YER yet, though the greater part of them were
sold long ago Among the lot was valuable
snuiIboX OF gold. which sold to q Ieweler
who melted II for the precious metal 1t con.
tanned. will call my housekeeper who will
which / still own. The most valuable and
most notable article in that lot Of silver was
n tourine which l bought in Paris, and
brought home with me. IL was disposed OF
long ago, and have since regretted having
parted with il. ! would now prize 1t high
| ~, If owned it
Still feeling that Mr.. Clemson had not an.
swercd our question as To whether he had
brought snufFboX from France TO Colonel
tion, VIC proposed to read 10 him an eXtrect
from the .Nc,cS umd Cbn1'icr.
| You needn't do that. have road the arti
clcs In the NpaS ana Courier The paper is
! lying on tho table there containing them. Mr..
Williams of the GreenriRc .NcrS was here
this morning seeking information in refer.
cncc to the same matter. ! know what the
paper contains, and told Mr.. Williams that
| | did not want to 90 into tie newspapers"
| But after The varous failures to get Il direct
answer to our question about The SnuiEboX.
we proceeded To draw the paper from our
packet. when we read the following extract:
| ale gave no intimation to his friend OF the
history connected with the possession of
! this box, except to say !hat Mr.. Clemson. the
"Son-in law of John C.. Calhoun, brought it t.
| "him from France, when he (Mr CiemScn)
"was secretary of the American legation In
| 'PariS"
What d" you say to that statement, Mr..
| Clcmson?'
snufTboX from France To Mr.. Rion. | never
| heard of tho Snufi-boX before that publica-
! tion. Colonel Rion never spoke OF 1t to me.
| l know him intimately for many years be.
word Of truth In thcstatement that it came
| from France 10 him.
Il was never Secretary of the Legation to
! France. ] was minister 10 Belgium when the
war broke out. went to Europe during the
progress of the war;, and saw much of the
country and the people there"
Can you t,.ll us about his trip to Canada?"
"Coinncl Rion never went to Canada. At
| the time at which II IS alleGcd lie went To Cam
ada, lie went to Washington to sec Mr. Corco-
| ran on some business for me. Mr.. C0rcoran Is
my friend, us was Mr.. Rinn. Mr.. RiOn went
| to seq him in reference 10 some inve .tmentS
which he had made for me. and for which SER
| vice Colonel ition never charged me cent"
at has been stated, Mr.. Clemson, that 'p"cn.
! liar relations existed between John {. Cal
huun and Mr.. Rion. Can You throw any light
on that subIect?'
II know John G. Calhoun as we'll as any
other man, and know there is no truth I'm
that story. There is not even Il possibility for
any truth in it,"
| OF course, it will not be understood hat the
above is amy prctcnse to a full report of oil
hat NJ !. Clemson said in an interesting Inter